walk in cooler
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farmboy
Well-known member
area code is ohio cincy area.
I'm really out of my element here asking about coolers, but here goes. We have never used a cooler, but were planning on putting a small one in a corner of our *remodeled* show steer barn. I'm not sure of the size, I could go measure, but for now, I'll say it would fit 3 fat steers comfortably. What are the recommendations size-wise for what you guys would build/buy for 3-4 steers? Just curious if we indeed have enough room. Would we be better buying something like this, or building a moderate one of our own. It won't be fancy by any means, at least not this year, but something to get us buy until we could afford something nicer.
If you would build your own and use window air units, how many and btu's, etc? Something else that scares me is what in the heck do you do say, if you aren't home and your power goes off and your steers are trapped in the cooler? If you are close by, you could always go home and get them out, but say you are farther away time wise, shouldn't there be some type of door that could open so they could get air?
Sorry for all the questions. I really want to get rolling on this and get my husband motivated to do something as well, or I'm afraid another year will pass us by and we still won't have a cooler.
If you would build your own and use window air units, how many and btu's, etc? Something else that scares me is what in the heck do you do say, if you aren't home and your power goes off and your steers are trapped in the cooler? If you are close by, you could always go home and get them out, but say you are farther away time wise, shouldn't there be some type of door that could open so they could get air?
Sorry for all the questions. I really want to get rolling on this and get my husband motivated to do something as well, or I'm afraid another year will pass us by and we still won't have a cooler.
farmboy
Well-known member
General rule is 4 feet wide and 8 feet long for each calfrussfarm said:
You can build a really good cooler for a lot cheaper then you can buy from cool calf, cool calf has all the bells and whistles and generally are pretty good but can get pricey. Now if this guy has a cool calf, it might be wise to jump on it. Materials + Labor can add up pretty fast
Not sure on the BTU's, however, we ran a cool room all of last summer on a Frigidair Window unit that cost about $420. With a fat calf and 4 feeders it stayed around 65 on a moderate day. I think the room is 20 by 12. Sometimes I ran another small unit with it to keep it at 60.
This is a real threat. Your best bet is to have someone always home and make sure they know if a breaker kicks or the power goes out, they know what to do. A breaker kicked in my house last summer and I didn't know it for about 15 minutes. I opened the door and hot air poured out of there. Cool calf makes a sliding safety door that kicks open if the power goes off. Now another thing I have considered is having the loading dock plastic door flaps deal going on so that way they can just walk out if it gets too hot (If you leave them untied of course)
You can probably find an electrician to rig up something like this as well...
Don't forget that coolers don't grow hair. Rinsing twice a day (Thrice if you can), brushing your ass off, blowing and more brushing, and keeping it dark and cool grow hair.
Excellent post with important questions in it.
Thanks so much for your insight. Alot of valuable info in this post. We have always been big rinsers and would never rely on just the cooler for hair. Last year, my son and I were rinsing his steer at least 3x a day, sometimes 4. He had BEAUTIFUL hair, without the cooler. We just have always been wanting to try the cooler to see if it helped any. I've seen steers that have come from coolers, and had not been rinsed like ours, and didn't have near the hair we did. Makes you feel good when your efforts pay off in the end!
Thanks again for your help!
Thanks again for your help!
farmboy
Well-known member
spray foam...
farmboy
Well-known member
I get that, that was probably your problem. I'm not sure what we used for insulation but the Amish people use the same stuff to keep ice through the summer from the winter time, thats how good it is.
Jill
Well-known member
A cool calf unit is an air conditioning system, a swamp cooler isn't, it has nothing to do with the foam.
this cooler is sold they are suposed to pick it up saturday thanks JC FAMILY THIS IS A CLASSIFIED POST IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BUY IT .........WHY WOULD YOU COMMENT OH I FORGOT THIS IS THE INTERNET AND ALL IDIOTS ARE ALLOWED.....AND TO BAD YOU WASTED YOUR MONEY DON'T MESS WITH OTHER PEOPLES MONEY
